Golden birds appeared, resembling the pure white ones that had once bloomed in Cecil’s hands.
The crackling flames sounded like the chirping of larks as each bird rushed toward Ziffnel, their wings consuming the pink, infinite divinity.
It was the proof of overwhelming talent, and sublime love.
Though momentarily caught off guard by the power of the human, Ziffnel slowly found herself on the defensive. She gently closed her eyes, falling into thought.
A hundred birds of brilliance flew toward her.
Thalia still required some time before she could capture Cecil.
“…I will have to sever your head with a single blow.”
Ziffnel, holding Nerondir in her right hand with slow, graceful movements, gathered all the infinite divinity that had been spread so splendidly and infused it into the Holy Sword.
Sensing the ominous shift in the atmosphere, Julius, realizing the impending crisis, unleashed the last of his brilliance, aiming for her wings…
‘His defeat will be sealed by his own hesitation.’
Paashk!
Fresh blood gushed from Ziffnel’s wings, pierced by the brilliance.
The Angel of Love, feeling her body tilt, twisted mid-collapse and swung the ink-stained Holy Sword.
“I knew it would be like this. You are such a soft man—did you try to show me mercy?”
Confident that he would not kill her, Ziffnel did not bother blocking the incoming spear of brilliance. Instead, she poured all of her infinite divine power into the Holy Sword and delivered the final blow—severing the head of the love-crazed inquisitor.
The power of Lionelta, the Angel of Death.
[Void]
The ink-colored sacred power that devoured existence swallowed all of Tapnel’s brilliance that had been soaring through the air.
A slash, far beyond the playful power that Lionelta had once displayed, flew straight toward the inquisitor.
Upon witnessing this, Julius ignited white flames, attempting to dodge.
Ziffnel, watching him indifferently, spoke without emotion, “Are you sure? Behind you are Cecil and Thalia. If you escape now, what will become of your wife?”
Tak—
The power of death surged grotesquely and silently.
However, her words rang clearly in the inquisitor’s ears, stopping the man in his tracks.
A fleeting moment—a single instant that would determine his fate.
If he dodged now, he could use his flames to neutralize Ziffnel.
Julius made his decision in an instant, without hesitation. He gathered the last remnants of weak flame within his heart and stared resolutely at the ink-colored power hurtling toward him.
‘This is foolish.’ Ziffnel showed a twisted smile as she watched the pitiful end unfold before her.
Julius, unable to bear the thought of witnessing the woman he loved being torn apart, had chosen death.
The pure white flames from Julius’ hand managed to block the encroaching void for a moment, but they soon lost their strength and crumbled beneath the subversive power.
The ink-colored energy, a fusion of divine and magical forces, engulfed him completely.
.
.
.
No—in fact, what engulfed his entire body was the bluish ‘holy water’.
“…That… No way!”
Ziffnel, her wings torn from battle, folded them inward before unfurling a new set, ascending once more. Her beautiful face twisted into something monstrous, contorted with rage.
That petty Priestess, had suddenly appeared and used her power!
How abominable!
Though she was a chosen being who had inherited Rom’s power, the look in her eyes were that of an unbeliever—one who refused to follow Telmere’s words.
“…Emily Ridina!” Ziffnel roared with all her might.
Staring at the Angel of Love who gazed down upon her, Emily—the heavy-smoking priestess who never extinguished her cigarette—smiled brightly. Her silver hair was roughly tied back, and blood spilled from her lips as she coughed violently through her smile.
“It had been a long time, Ziffnel! This is the first time I am seeing you since I had been baptized.”
“…that’s something insignificant.”
Before entering the void, Ziffnel had found the Serpent and Priestess Emily hiding in the city outside the body of the Colossal Serpent created by the Nightmare. Then, with the power of [Infinite] she had warped them both and literally thrown them to the opposite side of the territory.
With Colossal Serpent, who knew nothing more than devouring, and Priestess Emily, who knew nothing more than making holy water, it would have taken them at least half a day to come back.
Feeling more anger at the disruption of her plan than at being interrupted, Ziffnel frowned and pointed at the Priestess with the pure white blade of Nerondir in her hand.
“… What kind of magic did you use to get here?”
“I had grown up hearing that any celestial being was omnipotent and all-powerful. So take a guess.”
The angel, who had enough of the human’s uniquely arrogant tone, dyed the holy sword in her hand with golden divinity and swung it lightly, blowing away Priestess Emily’s entire upper body.
The Priestess died instantly without even being able to utter a groan.
Ziffnel, who had killed the woman so cruelly, quietly shook her head while keeping an eye out for Julius, who had been gathering himself behind her.
How on earth could the Priestess have come here from the opposite side of the territory?
After thinking for several breaths, she finally managed to arrive at her correct answer.
“… Colossal Serpent. You had her devour you.”
The power of the holy water that repaired what was broken gave off purple light and forcibly gathered the fragments of the corpse, and even the torn priest’s clothes were restored to their neat appearance.
As if time had turned back, Priestess Emily returned to the same beautiful woman as before.
The corner of her mouth twitched as she nodded her now restored head.
She had heard it from the Countess.
The Colossal Serpent just foolishly devoured everything, and the legendary devil had even devoured a part of the void in the past.
“… The void where devils were born is everywhere and nowhere.”
This second Colossal Serpent had appeared in this world thanks to Nirhil’s powers.
The real Colossal Serpent was in the Countess’s body.
Two serpents, one void.
Like a petty thief who had sneaked in through the back door, Priestess Emily had entered the land of the void through the mouth of the real Colossal Serpent.
The situation was like a well-planned script.
An unpleasant sensation of being stuck in a quagmire suddenly arose in the Angel’s heart.
Sensing a horrifying feeling as if something had been crawling on her body, Ziffnel inadvertently looked at Cecil, who had been pulling Thalia’s hair from afar.
There was no way that foolish woman, so obsessed with the love of her husband, Julius Tapnel, could have planned something like this.
Then what remained…
“Hehehehe, playing with angels had always been quite a fun pastime. Let me express my gratitude to you for allowing me to see my husband’s wonderful heart.”
“… Nirhil, you despicable devil!”
The ancient devil who had secretly foreseen the future and had even fooled Cecil, her other half.
Hearing Nirhil’s laughter, the angel’s face distorted, and the holy sword Nerondir in her hand began to tremble with magical energy and frantically emitted divine power.
“… Nothing will change. Today, I will behead Julius Tapnel and seal Cecil Lionelta and Nirhil, who has defied death, and establish the reputation of Rom and the laws of Telmere to correct the chaos in the world!”
The angel and the holy sword emitted explosive energy and slowly began to turn pink again.
Ziffnel’s power began to take on a color of fresh blood.
It was an unavoidable and overwhelming force.
However, during this time—there was someone who had finally regained his composure.